One of the reasons that President Obama can't just go off on Republicans

[Empowerer]

No matter how much some people try to deny it, we still have distinct double standards in this America - and any public (and often even private) display of anger by black people, regardless how tempered, calm or deserved, is perceived very differently and more negatively than the similar displays by white folks.

Carlson Asks If Serena Williams' Tennis Rant Had A "Racial Undertone" And Was Due To "Entitlement Generation"

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201109120002

[MsKandice01]

1. It's been quite obvious all along...

That Obama does his best to not play into the "angry black man" stereotype.

[rfranklin]

2. Like that black guy, John McEnroe?

Yep, they're all uppity!

[Empowerer]

10. Consider this perspective . . .

Refereeing Serena: Racism, Anger, and U.S. (Women’s) Tennis
http://crunkfeministcollective.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/refereeing-serena-racism-anger-and-u-s-womens-tennis/

All honest tennis players and stans will admit that the Williams Sisters have transformed the game of women’s tennis. They have brought power and speed to bear in ways that used to be relegated to the men’s game. With their power serves, speed, and willingness to chase down and make impossible shots, the Sisters also upped the physical fitness requirements for champions. When asked about 3 years ago how the Williams Sisters had transformed the game, Darren Cahill offered rather hesitantly, “they have opened the doors to people from all walks of life.” Really? That’s it? Tennis is more colorful now that the Williams Sisters have been a part of it? Thanks for the magnanimity, Darren.

But it is the female commentators who make me want to spit nails. Mary Carillo and occasional commentator and tennis legend Chris Evert are the worst of them all. Mary Carillo vacillates between loving Serena—now, anyway—and criticizing her. In the early part of their careers, the sisters winning game was attributed to their powerful bodies. But they were frequently accused of “lacking strategy,” “not thinking about their shots,” and “relying on their ‘natural athleticism.” Whey they started coming to the net and winning, their success was attributed yet again to their “natural athletic ability.” The Williams Sisters were represented as hypermasculine, unattractive women overpowering dainty white female tennis players (although Jennifer Capriati, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin are anything but dainty.) These narratives about Black bodies as “naturally athletic,” “more powerful,” “more wild,” “less thoughtful,” and “less strategic” and black female bodies as “(un)naturally strong, invulnerable, and unattractive”– are central to Western narratives of white racial superiority.

I knew the hateration would be back in full force this year, when I tuned in to watch Donald Young, a wild card player in an early round match. As Young played, ... Patrick McEnroe went on a diatribe about how “undisciplined” Young is and how the USTA (US Tennis Assoc) has had “problems” with him. Young stopped training at the the USTA’s tennis academies, and has instead chosen to let his parents train him at the facility they opened in ATL. But if Black players continue to defect from the formal ranks of the USTA, to train by themselves, perhaps the issue is not with the players or “their lack of discipline,” but rather with the USTA itself? Perhaps the problem is with a tennis system that largely sees Black players as a “problem.”
. . .

{F}rankly, I see Serena’s outburst as understandable and amusing. Call me a Williams stan if you want to. It’s true. But this is not about simple loyalty.

Yes, I’m aware of all the ways in which her acts in this moment reinforce stereotypes of the Angry Black Woman. However, we cannot use our investment in a respectability politic which demands that Black women never show anger or emotion in the face of injustice to demand Serena’s silence. Resistance is often impolite, and frequently it demands that we skirt the rules ...

Moreover, the USTA loves angry heckling players—as long as they are white men. Early in the tournament, there was a video and interview tribute to Jimmy Connors, a player legendary for his angry outbursts on the court. In the tribute they devoted extended time to showing one of the more famous of these outbursts, in a celebratory manner. White anger is entertaining; Black anger must be contained.

[politicasista]

3. Kick.

Though would have love to see Serena go Compton on them folks. They always want her and Venus to lose.

[Empowerer]

5. I thought she was very rational, calm and reasonable

She was angry, but she didn't "go off" - she didn't yell, or throw her racquet or do anything unsportsmanlike. Yet folks are reacting as if she called the ref a "honky" and threatened to burn down her house.

[politicasista]

8. Exactly. She handled herself well.

Like Obama, Serena deep inside wants to go off, but knows there is a risk of being tagged as the "Angry Black Man/Woman stereotype".

Don't understand how the President and First Lady handle are the garbage flung at them 24.7, but they also handle themselves well. Thick skin is a required for sure.

[brooklynite]

4. This has always been a pretty foolish comment...

...it suggests that the only way to go after the Republicans is to yell and therefore feed into a racial stereotype. There are many ways President Obama could lay hard criticism on the Republicans. For policy and political reasons, he chooses not to.

[Empowerer]

6. I disagree . . .

Many, many people are harshly critical of the President, not because he doesn't criticize Republicans but because he doesn't demonstrate the degree of anger (sometimes called "passion") that they want to see from him.

But as most black folks in America - as well as plenty of other people - know, that would be a huge mistake.

[gateley]

9. And I agree with both you and brooklynite --

People ARE calling for him to become angry but if he did, he'd play right to those racists.

I think those calling for anger are those who aren't racist themselves, and it would never occur to them to see that anger as representing an Angry Black Man.

That being said, and being one of the ones hollering for him to kick their collective ass, brooklynite has a good point in that there are ways to do it without anger.

[FrenchieCat]

7. This article kind of follows up on that.....

This one:

Is Obama Taking Cues From One of the Greatest Tennis Players Ever?
9/12/11

Tennis great Arthur Ashe's widow shares why her late husband and the Prez have a lot in common

When you're president, everybody’s a critic. Some people don’t like your politics. Others don’t like your policies. Some don’t like your personality. Then there are plenty who don’t like any of the above. But few presidents have faced as much criticism as our current one and for one personality trait in particular: not being angry enough.

Since taking office, President Obama has endured seemingly endless criticism for what supporters and foes alike deem his inability to emote, or at least to emote enough for their liking. He received so much criticism for failing to appear angry enough, early enough following the Gulf Coast oil spill that an entire column was devoted to how many Washington pundits were angry with him for not being sufficiently angry.

But of course when you’re president it’s often a case of damned if you do, damned if you don’t. When he said that he was looking for “whose ass to kick” during an interview about the disaster some accused him of un-presidential like behavior.



Read more here... http://loop21.com/content/obama-taking-cues-one-greatest-tennis-players-ever

[bluestateguy]

11. Jackie Robinson had a one year prohibition on lashing back at white racists in MLB

But after one year Branch Rickey released him from that rule and he was free to fight back..

I think Obama's one year Jackie Robinson prohibition is long over now.

[Empowerer]

13. Jackie Robinson was a baseball player . . .

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Then let's talk about and give him the go to set the right example.

[Empowerer]

14. "set the right example"?

For whom?

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. For all minorities who hope to one day run for office.

Stand your ground, because buckling to bullies only exacerbates the problem.

[Empowerer]

19. I don't think "minorities who hope one day to run for office" need lessons from President Obama

on how to conduct themselves ...

I'm sure you didn't mean it this way, but your comment is very patronizing and evidences one of the serious challenges that every "first" minority in any position consistently encounters - challenges that white people in the same position don't have to deal with (or probably even have to think about).

Black people know quite well how to deal with bullies, racists and others. We do it every single day of our lives. And we have to consistently make individual choices about how to respond to each situation. These are very difficult, very personal choices, fraught with peril and frustration. It doesn't help to be constantly second-guessed from afar by people who are sitting outside of the ring and often haven't the slightest clue what it's like to be in our position.

How President Obama chooses to deal with his situation in no way should set an "example" for other minorities on how THEY should deal with THEIR situation. And suggesting that minorities who wish to run for public office one day need to be shown how to "stand their ground" by the black president is way off the mark.

If you believe that President Obama needs to set an example of how to behave in the face of bullies, that should be a lesson to ALL people, not just to minorities. And, by the same token, that example should be set by EVERY president, whatever his/her race, not just by the first black man to occupy the office.

[The Backlash Cometh]

21. I may have agreed with you at one time.

But Obama is rewriting everything I once took for granted about black people standing up to bullies, racists and others on a daily basis. I disagree with you in that last comment. He has an obstacle that no president has had to face. He has the dog whistle comments that are used to constantly point out that he's black. With some people, that's all that's needed to remind them that he's somewhat inferior and not worthy. THAT's why it's important to set an example as the first black president. THAT's why it's so hard to see him buckle to the Republicans time and time again. Regardless of his reasons for doing it, it comes across as weak.

[Empowerer]

22. If he needs to set an example, he needs to set the example for EVERYONE, not just minorities

In fact, I think that non-minorities have more to learn from the first black president than the vast majority of minorities since we are already very familiar with what the President is dealing with. But for many whites - even the most liberal - it is quite instructive to watch and learn about what he has to endure.

I'm troubled, however, by your comment that he is "rewriting everything I once took for granted about black people standing up to bullies . . ." Do you think that ALL black people always behave the same way? If so, you have a lot to learn.

As I've said, dealing with racism is a very personal matter and each of us has to make tough, painful choices and deal with it in the way we see fit. And the last thing we need to is to be criticized and second-guessed by others (especially people who have never been in this position) who insist that we should handle it in a different way and, when we don't, tell us that somehow we're not measuring up - or that we are weak.

Weakness is the least of this President's problems, trust me. And, frankly, I find it rather insulting and patronizing for white people to continue to insist that he is weak because THEY don't like the way he responds to racism. And to insist that one black man - regardless who he is - is "rewriting" something you "took for granted about {other] black people" as if we all think, behave and respond alike and the fact that one black person deals with this a certain way somehow changes how others think and act is a very, very troubling point of view. I urge you to carefully think about what you're saying and consider whether you might want to reassess your perspective.

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. Our discussion is moot.

Obama is doing it his own way. Whether he fails or succeeds, he only has himself to blame or take the credit.

[mtnsnake]

15. What a crock that is. It's just one more cheap excuse

I thought I heard every excuse under the sun by the apologists, but this one is lame beyond imagination that President Obama "can't just go off on Republicans" because of the double standards for white people and black people.

President Obama most certainly can go off on Republicans, and he SHOULD go off on them instead of blaming both parties as he has been doing. The GOP is corrupt from top to bottom, they deserve most or all of the blame, and they deserve to have Obama go off on them way more than he has been. He is certainly intelligent enough to "go off" on them in a manner that portrays himself as tough, not angry.

[CakeGrrl]

16. How naive.

A Fox online headline from a while back over the President's polling numbers: "Obama has a problem with white women".

If you don't think this GOP-friendly MSM, particularly the Fox Dogwhistle Network, will play up an "angry black man" angle for all it's worth given half a chance, you're not seeing things very clearly.

Of COURSE they'll try it.

HILLARY brought up her support from 'hardworking white Americans'. They dissected the primary support up and down along racial demographics.

You can wave it off as an excuse - maybe you've never personally had to deal with that consideration - but it's a VERY real issue in this society.

[mtnsnake]

20. No. It's way more dangerous to let assholes like Fox News dictate how he acts

just because of fearing that they'll play up some "angry black man angle" on him if he happens to get tougher with Republicans. That's like admitting that you are just letting Fox News and their minions push you around for fear of what they might say about you.

[Mr Deltoid]

26. FOX?

LOL! Classic.

[Skittles]

24. I AGREE

[uponit7771]

30. Now back on planet Earth in the country of America were there is REAL racism......

[Cali_Democrat]

18. Obama can't go off on the GOP because Gretchen Carlson made a racist comment about Serena Williams?

That's ridiculous.

FUCK Gretchen Carlson and FUCK the GOP.

[Mr Deltoid]

25. Bologna

That is just an excuse for inaction. I doubt Obama buys into it either.

[Enrique]

27. it seems that black presidents are completely powerless

we better make sure we never elect a black president again. :sarcasm:

[Blue_Tires]

28. Holy damn I didn't even see that

Carlson is such a fucking gutless wonder...

[Tarheel_Dem]

29. I saw a clip of this last night, and I was floored. And yes, the double standard is...

and has always been there. The only difference is, Fox News comes right out and says it, while the other M$M outlets are much more subliminal. We knew this president was going to have to walk a very fine line when the media went into hypersensitivity about his remarks in the Dr. Skip Gates case. They couldn't wait to exploit the black/white dynamic of this issue, especially with a newly elected black president.

It's the same for most minorities (Black, Muslim, Latino, etc). No matter what your achievements in life, you'll never be white (mainstream polite society), and some people won't ever let you forget it. Now Serena has fair haired Chris Evert out there blasting her. You have to wonder if Ms. Evert was this vocal re: John McEnroe? :shrug: